1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radiographic imaging, and more particularly to an apparatus and process for digitally retrieving information projected onto a reusable radiographic film with subsequent restoration processing of such radiographic film to permit further use thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional x-ray imaging systems using silver-based films are being replaced by radiographic imaging systems using photo-stimulable phosphor imaging films or substrates eliminating the need for physical storage of the imaged film since digital retrieval of the image information includes input and computer storage permitting viewing of such information on a viewer, such as CRT tube assembly. Additionally, such computer stored image information permits facile electronic transmission to any preselect location obviating physical transfer of the thus formed image on the imaging film. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,744 to Goodman, et al., assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there is disclosed a process and apparatus for processing radiographic information from an anisotropic storage phosphor screen including an opto-electro-mechanical assembly to achieve faster scan of an interrogating beam and including detector and computer assembly, herein incorporated by reference.
The prior art is replete with a plethora of radiographic imaging information assemblies for reading projected image-wise information from a stimuable phosphor sheet, film or substrate, e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,457 to Kohada wherein excitation light emits photostimulated luminescent light from the stored energy of the projected image-wise information. In such disclosure, the plate, film, sheet or substrate is disposed on a horizontal support surface and interrogated by an excitation scanning assembly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,004 to Thoms, there is disclosed a device for reading flexible storage foils wherein the flexible storage film having image-wise projected information is positioned on a cylindrically-shaped surface and is caused to be linearly moved there over while being interrogated or scanned via a slot by a light beam generated in a helical line in a continuous manner from a point disposed at the axis of the cylindrically-shaped surface. At the conclusion of the reading process, the flexible storage film is caused to be returned to its starting position with the thus read storage film being thereafter separately processed to remove any latent image by exposure to light to cause trapped charged electrons to be dissipated thereby restoring the storage film for use in a subsequent receiving projected imaging information process.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,762,430 to Alzner, et al. and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there is described a plate guide system for dental imaging plates for use in the hereinabove described U.S. Pat. No. '014 to Thoms.
Restoration of a scanned image storage film in either disclosure obviously requires a separate and distinct restoration process. Any such two step procedure can very readily lead to the inadvertent non-processing of the storage film to a restoration process thereby resulting in the possible use of an image containing storage foil with concomitant unnecessary time and effort to rectify the use of an unrestored storage film. Consequently, there is a need for an apparatus and process for processing reusable storage films, plate and the like including the reading of latent images thereon with concomitant restoration of imaging capabilities in a manner to unequivocally ensure valid reuse of a storage film, plate or the like void of any latent image information.
As used herein, the term “reusable storage film” is a flexible substrate formed with a layer of a photo-stimulable phosphors which is capable of imaging with ionizing radiation or x-rays which after imaging may be interrogated or scanned with a source of light energy to produce photo-stimulated luminescence information capable of being digitally read and stored.